Handbag



Sept. 21, 1937. Q KI 12,093,449.

HANDBAG Filed Feb. 15, 1936 Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATS PATT FFlE

3 Claims.

This invention relates to handbags and its principal object is to provide a simple and effective means for securing a tubular rail to the outer edges of the frame member or members.

In the drawing, Figure l is an elevation of a portion of a U-shaped frame member before the tubular rail has been applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing said frame member after the application thereto of the tubular rail.

Fig. 3 is a side View of a portion of said tubular rail before the same has been bent into U-shaped form.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing said rail after the side portion has been bent at right angles to the top portion thereof.

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional perspective views, the planes on which the sections are taken being indicated at 5-5 of Fig. 1 and 6-6 of Fig. 2, respectively.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the general plane indicated at line 66 of Fig. 2 showing the relative position of the two frame members when the bag is closed.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevation of another form of handbag frame member showing one stage in the construction thereof.

Fig. 9 is a similar view partly in section showing the frame member of Fig. 8 after the completion thereof.

Fig. 10 is a section taken on the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a transverse section showing the rela- F tive position of the two frame members of the type shown in Fig. 9 when the bag is closed.

In the particular drawing selected for more fully disclosing my invention, represents a channel-shaped frame member formed from a rectangular blank by bending a portion thereof back upon itself, such portion so reversely bent constituting the inner wall 2| of the frame member between which and the outer wall 24 the upper edge of the handbag fabric is secured, as hereinafter more fully explained. It will be understood that the inner wall 2! is concealed from view by the material of the handbag and that the terms inner and outer are used with reference to the concealed and exposed portions of the channel, as is customary in this art. After forming the channel, triangular portions of the frame member are removed from both the inner and outer walls thereof, the member is then bent into a U-shaped frame member, and after such bending operation, the edges of the notches left by the removal of the triangular portions aforesaid will be located at the corners of the frame, as indicated at 2! and 22.

The outer wall 24 is provided near its edge with a number of protuberances 25, which may have any suitable form, for engaging a slightly resilient longitudinally slotted tubular rail coextensive in length with the frame. The edge of the outer wall enters the slot of the rail, as shown in Fig. 6, and the rail, being resilient, snaps over said protuberances and is held in frictional engagement with said outer wall of the frame. Triangular notches 27 are out in the tubular rail between the top portion 28 thereof and the two side portions 26, one such notch being indicated in Fig. 3. To assemble the frame and rail, the top portion 28 of the latter is snapped over the outer wall of the frame, as indicated in Fig. 6, the triangular notches 2'! being adjusted to the frame corners and then the side portions 26 are bent at right angles to the top portion and forced over the protuberances formed in the side portions of the frame, the side portions of the rail, as. well as the top portion thereof, being held in frictional engagement with the frame member.

The two co-operating frame members may be hinged together in any suitable manner as by eyelets which pass through said members, as indicated at 2Q.

As shown in Fig. 7 the tubular rail may be applied to only one of said frame members, the other shown at 30 having its upper edge terminating under the rail with which the frame member 24 has been provided, in the manner above explained; obviously, however, as indicated in Fig. 11 with respect to a modification, both of the frame members of the type shown in Fig. 1 may be provided with tubular rails.

In the type of frame shown in Figs. 8-11 inclusive, designed for handbags of the better class, the frame members are died out of a sheet of metal in U-shaped form instead of bending a strip of material into such form as described above in connection with Fig. 1. In such case a portion of said sheet is bent to form a channel having an inner wall 2! and an outer wall 24 in the manner above set forth (Fig. 8). Before reversely bending said portion to form the channel, a corner portion of the blank is removed leaving a right angular space between the ends 3| of the outer wall of the channel. A reinforcing member 32 is inserted in the space above mentioned, said member having two faces disposed at right angles to each other and in alignment with the reversely bent portions H of the frame which form the channel. The said reinforcing member is held in position by two right angularly disposed wing portions 33 integral with said reinforcing member and arranged at right angles to the plane thereof, said wing portions resting on and being secured to the bottom of the channel, as for example, by spot-welding.

In handbags having frames of the type shown in Fig. 8 it is desirable that each of the two co-operating frame members be provided with tubular rails, as indicated in Fig. 11.

In both of the embodiments of my invention the edges of the bag are inserted in the channels and the arms 2| thereof compressed on the portion 24 thereby holding the fabric firmly in frictional engagement to the frame.

In order to bring the fabric close to the corners of the frame of the type shown in Fig. 8, it is advantageous to extend the corner of the reinforcing member so that its sides form an acute angle slightly rounded, as indicated at 34.

The tubular rail preferably is attached to the frame after both of these members have been finished, more especially when different finishes are used on the same, as for example, when one is given a metallic finish and the'other is finished in enamel. By this procedure a substantial economy is effected.

Having thus described an illustrative embodiment of my invention without, however, limiting the same thereto, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A handbag comprising in combination a channeled U-shaped frame member having outer and inner walls, the outer wall of said frame member being provided with a plurality of spaced protuberances, and a longitudinally-slotted resilient tubular rail coextensive in length with said frame member, the edge of said outer wall entering the slot in said rail and being enclosed thereby and held in frictional engagement therewith.

2. A handbag comprising in combination a channeled U-shaped frame member having outer and inner walls, the inner wall having a corner portion removed, a corner reinforcing member inserted in the space left by such removal, said reinforcing member having two faces disposed at right angles to each other, and in the same plane with the inner wall of said frame, and right-angularly disposed winged portions integral with said reinforcing member, said winged portions being arranged at right angles to the plane of said member and being secured to the bottom of said channel.

3. A handbag comprising in combination a channeled U-shaped frame member having outer and inner walls, the inner wall having a corner portion removed, a corner reinforcing member inserted in the space left by such removal, said reinforcing member having two faces disposed at right angles to each other and in the same plane with the inner wall of said frame, the apex of said reinforcing member being extended toward the corner of said frame member and forming an angle smaller than a right angle, and rightangularly disposed winged portions integral with said reinforcing member, said winged portions being disposed at right angles to the plane of said member and being secured to the bottom of said channel.

CLIFFORD G. KING. 

